The Lord then addressed the Bodhisattva Mahisattva
Mahâsthâmaprâpta. In a similar way, Mahâsthâmaprâpta, one may infer
from what has been said that he who rejects such a Dharmaparyâya as
this, who abuses monks, nuns, lay devotees male or female, keeping
this Sûtra, insults them, treats them with false and harsh words,
shall experience dire results, to such an extent as is impossible
to express in words. But those that keep, read, comprehend, teach,
amply expound it to others, shall experience happy results, such as
I have already mentioned: they shall attain such a perfection of
the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind as just described.
In the days of yore, Mahâsthâmaprâpta, at a past period, before
incalculable Æons, nay, more than incalculable, immense,
inconceivable, and even long before, there appeared in the world a
Tathâgata, &c., named Bhîshmagargitasvararâga, endowed with
science and conduct, a Sugata, &c. &c., in the Æon
Vinirbhoga, in the world Mahâsambhava. Now, Mahâsthâmaprâpta, that
Lord Bhîshmagargitasvararâga, the Tathâgata, &c., in that world
Vinirbhoga, showed the law in the presence of the world, including
gods, men, and demons; the law containing the four noble truths and
starting from the chain of causes and efferts, tending to overcome
birth, decrepitude, sickness, death, sorrow, lamentation, woe,
grief, despondency, and finally leading to Nirvâna, he showed to
the disciples; the law connected with the six Perfections of virtue
and terminating in the knowledge of the Omniscient, after the
attainment of supreme, perfect enlightenment, he showed to the
Bodhisattvas. The lifetime of that Lord Bhîshmagargitasvararâga,
the Tathâgata, &c., lasted forty hundred thousand myriads of
kotis of Æons equal to the sands of the river Ganges. After his
complete extinction his true law remained hundred thousands of
myriads of kotis of Æons equal to the atoms (contained) in
Gambudvîpa, and the counterfeit of the true law continued hundred
thousands of myriads of kotis of Æons equal to the dust-atoms in
the four continents. When the counterfeit of the true law of the
Lord Bhîshmagargitasvararâga, the Tathâgata, &c., after his
complete extinction, had disappeared in the world Mahâsambhava,
Mahâsthâmaprâpta, another Tathâgata Bhîshmagargitasvararâga, Arhat,
&c., appeared, endowed with science and conduct. So in
succession, Mahâsthâmaprâpta, there arose in that world
Mahâsambhava twenty hundred thousand myriads of kotis of
Tathâgatas, &c., called Bhîshmagargitasvararâga. At the time,
Mahâsthâmaprâpta, after the complete extinction of the first
Tathâgata amongst all those of the name of Bhîshmagargitasvararâga,
Tathâgata, &c., endowed with science and conduct, &c.
&c., when his true law had disappeared and the counterfeit of
the true law was fading; when the reign (of the law) was being
oppressed by proud monks, there was a monk, a Bodhisattva
Mahâsattva, called Sadâparibhûta. For what reason,
Mahâsthâmaprâpta, was that Bodhisattva Mahâsattva called
Sadâparibhûta? It was, Mahâsthâmaprâpta, because that Bodhisattva
Mahâsattva was in the habit of exclaiming to every monk or nun,
male or female lay devotee, while approaching them: I do not
contemn you, worthies. You deserve no contempt, for you all observe
the course of duty of Bodhisattvas and are to become Tath.âgatas,
&c. In this way, Mahâsthâmaprâpta, that Bodhisattva Mahâsattva,
when a monk, did not teach nor study; the only thing he did was,
whenever he descried from afar a monk or nun, a male or female lay
devotee, to approach them and exclaim: I do not contemn you,
sisters. You deserve no contempt, for you all observe the course of
duty of Bodhisattvas and are to become Tathâgatas, &c. So,
Mahâsthâmaprâpta, the Bodhisattva Mahâsattva at that time used to
address every monk or nun, male or female devotee. But all were
extremely irritated and angry at it, showed him their displeasure,
abused and insulted him: Why does he, unasked, declare that he
feels no contempt for us? just by so doing he shows a contempt for
us. He renders himself contemptible by predicting our future
destiny to supreme, perfect enlightenment; we do not care for what
is not true. Many years, Mahâsthâmaprâpta, went on during which
that Bodhisattva Mahâsattva was being abused, but he was not angry
at anybody, nor felt malignity, and to those who, when he addressed
them in the said manner, cast a clod or stick at him, he loudly
exclaimed from afar: I do not contemn you. Those monks and nuns,
male and female lay devotees, being always and ever addressed by
him in that phrase gave him the (nick)name of Sadâparibhûta.
taken from the Lotus Sutra
http://www.sacred-texts.com/bud/lotus/lot19.htm
